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www.greystar.co.nz
PHONE 769 7900
ursday, December 19, 2013
Daniel Richardson
Auckland
When you are a striker in need of a
goal you will try anything.
Wellington Phoenix forward
Jeremy Brockie has not found the
back of the net since he scored against
the Melbourne Victory in round four
of the A-League on November 4.
Since then he has endured a couple of
memorable misses.
He fluffed a penalty for the All
Whites against Mexico at Westpac
Stadium on November 20 and his
spurned chance for the Phoenix against
the Brisbane Roar last weekend will no
doubt turn up on a bloopers reel in the
future.
e 26-year-old s scoring record this
season is in stark contrast to his maiden
campaign in Wellington last year when
he netted 16 times in 24 games.
He has even adopted a new
hairstyle to provide a point of
difference, sporting a mohawk
during last Saturday s 2-1 loss to the
Roar. "I ve been trying everything to
get this goal out of the way and it s
only hair. It grows back in," he said
with a grin.
e Phoenix would appreciate
Brockie finding his scoring touch as
they strive to snap out of the funk that
has seen them fail to win in nine games
this season.
ey have looked the part more often
than not, but have failed to deliver a
complete performance.
eir next chance to do that comes
across the Tasman tonight when they
meet the Central Coast Mariners at
North Sydney Oval.
Brockie did his best to explain
what had been behind the Phoenix s
inability to finish this season --- they
have scored only nine goals in as many
games --- but said the quick turnaround
from Saturday s game meant he could
put his missed chance against the Roar
behind him.
"When you re not winning, as a player
and as a team, sometimes it can get a
little bit frustrating and the confidence
can take a little bit of a blow.
"Last season if I had that chance
(from Saturday) it definitely would
have hit the back of the net. But I ll
keep working hard and I was obviously
disappointed with the outcome of that
result there. But lucky this game s come
pretty soon and it s a good opportunity
to get out there and make amends for
it."
Brockie said the main cause for
optimism among the squad was the fact
they were putting themselves in the
position to score and the only missing
ingredient was execution.
"I think we d probably be a little
bit more disappointed if we weren t
creating the chances. We just need to
work harder and get more numbers
into the box. If you re only aiming for
one in the box it s difficult to try and
pick that player out. So if we can get
midfielders coming through, maybe
their players don t pick them up and get
more opportunities to score goals."
Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick has
given his bench a tweak for tonight s
game with Josh Brindell-South,
Michael Boxall and Jason Hicks all
dropping off the pine to be replaced by
Tyler Boyd, Matthew Ridenton and
Leo Bertos.
Merrick seems likely to stick with
the same starting XI from the defeat
against the Roar after midfielders
Carlos Hernandez and Albert Riera
came through training with no injury
concerns. --- APNZ
Daniel Richardson
Auckland
Wellington Phoenix coach Ernie
Merrick has turned to his fountain
of youth with a bench shake-up for
tonight s away clash with the Central
Coast Mariners in Sydney.
e catch-up game, which was
rescheduled due to the All Whites
intercontinental World Cup play-off
against Mexico last month, shapes as
Wellington s next chance to score their
first win of the A-League season.
Following last Saturday s 2-1 defeat
to the league-leading Brisbane Roar,
Merrick has moved Michael Boxall,
Josh Brindell-South and Jason Hicks
out of the match-day squad, although
the starting XI is not likely to change.
"I ll freshen up the bench to blood
some new youngsters," Merrick said.
"I ll be bringing in Tyler Boyd, Matthew
Ridenton and another youngster I ll be
bringing in is Leo Bertos."
Merrick is of course joking when
referencing Bertos as part of the young
brigade given the All Whites veteran
turns 32 tomorrow. But Ridenton is
only 17 and cannot legally buy his first
beer until March, while Boyd is 18
and will celebrate his 19th birthday on
December 30.
eir elevation in to the squad is a
clear ploy by Merrick to give his side
some punch from the pine, while
veteran Paul Ifill will also likely start
the game on the bench given his best
work this season has been as an impact
player.
ere were slight injury concerns
around midfielders Carlos Hernandez
and Albert Riera but both have come
through the week well.
Merrick said at the beginning of the
season he wanted eight or nine games
to assess how the team would shape up
and following nine games they have
lost five and drawn four.
Despite the dire results and the fact
they sit just above last place on the
A-League ladder, Merrick was not
bothered.
"Panicking? at s not a word in my
vocabulary," the Scotsman said. "It s
a continual work in progress. We are
creating chances, we ve got to score
them. I understand that we have got to
make the finals and it s tough to make
the finals if you lose points and don t
pick up the full three points but there s
still 54 points to play for. But I m pretty
keen to get a win, but not just one win,
several wins."
Central Coast, traditionally one of
the league s most consistent sides, were
soundly beaten 4-0 by Adelaide United
last week and haven t hit their stride
this summer.
ey have only mustered nine goals
from as many games and sit in sixth on
the points table as they come to terms
with a coaching change after Graham
Arnold announced his departure last
month with former assistant Phil Moss
taking over.
Tonight s game marks the first
A-League fixture to be played at North
Sydney Oval.
--- APNZ
David Leggat
of the New Zealand Herald
As no comments
go, Darren Sammy
produced a gold medal
class performance at
Seddon Park, Hamilton
yesterday.
e West Indian
skipper is good mates
with suspended
offspinner Shane
Shillingford. It is clear
the West Indies camp
feel hard done by losing
the Dominican after
he failed International
Cricket Council testing
on the legitimacy of his
bowling action.
ere are plenty of
other bowlers around the
globe who are worthy
of tough scrutiny but
have survived for now.
Yesterday Sammy was
sorely tempted to let
rip.
His coach Ottis Gibson
has said there are other
bowlers with "similar if
not worse actions" than
Shillingford who have
not had their collar felt
by officials.
"I d love to spill my
guts out and say what
I have to say. Wouldn t
you love that," Sammy
laughed.
"No matter what
the situation there is
a procedure in which
things are done. I ve
always been one whose
stuck by the rules.
"I don t want
find myself in any
compromising situation.
e board and coach
and director of cricket
at home are going
to handle it and I m
backing them to handle
it in the best possible
way."
Shillingford is no
stranger to trouble over
his action and Sammy
spoke of his "mental
toughness".
"Shilly is a very close
friend of mine and he s
quite sad about it, and
disappointed about the
results. But that s life and
sometimes you get cur ve
balls thrown at you. You
have to face it and come
back stronger."
Shillingford s place
will go to Trinidadian
Sunil Narine, who has
caused problems for
New Zealand in the
past, picking up 12 of
his 15 test wickets in
the two-test series in
the Caribbean last year.
He has been a particular
challenge for batsmen in
the shorter-form games.
"He is equally capable
of doing the job for us,"
Sammy said. "Obviously
test cricket has not
been his best format
but he s still young in
international cricket and
he poses a threat on any
type of wicket he plays
on."
New Zealand skipper
Brendon McCullum
didn t want to enter the
Shillingford debate,
adding only that "I
guess you always feel
sorry for someone if
they get rubbed out of a
game regardless of the
situation, so I felt for
him, but it s not really
for us to comment on."
McCullum has played
against Narine, and
with him in the Indian
Premier League. "We
know he s a tough
proposition as well."
--- APNZ
Hamilton
West Indies took a slight advantage
at lunch after being asked to bat by
seeing off the new ball and reaching
the break on 71 for one in the third
and final test against New Zealand at
Seddon Park in Hamilton today.
Kirk Edwards, who dropped down
to No 3 after opening in the first
two tests, was on three, while Kraigg
Brathwaite was on 41 at the break.
Brathwaite was a late addition to the
tour squad for the injured Chris Gayle
then had visa issues that delayed his
arrival in New Zealand.
Kieran Powell was the only wicket to
fall in the first session when he tried
to cut a rising Neil Wagner delivery,
having tried a similar shot earlier
but missing the ball, to be caught by
wicketkeeper B J Watling for 26.
New Zealand captain Brendon
McCullum had won his first toss of the
series and asked West Indies to bat on
a pitch that appeared to be slower and
with less grass on it than the previous
matches at Dunedin s University Oval
and the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
Despite several good deliveries and
some half-chances they were unable
to get the same sort of penetration or
make the breakthroughs they had in
the two previous tests.
Wagner was unlucky not to have
taken the wicket of Brathwaite shortly
before he dismissed Powell when the
right hander was through his shot too
early and Tim Southee was unable to
hold the sharp chance at cover point.
Off-spinner Kane Williamson was
introduced before lunch and was
already getting turn off the pitch,
which could be dangerous for New
Zealand having to bat fourth and
facing a dual-spin attack of Sunil
Narine and Veerasamy Permaul.
Narine was brought in for Shane
Shillingford, who was banned by the
International Cricket Council after
biomechanical analysis of his bowling
action, while left-arm spinner Permaul
replaced Shannon Gabriel.
Brathwaite replaced Darren Bravo,
who was a late withdrawal after being
struck in the nets.
New Zealand, who are unchanged
from the innings and 73-run victory
in the second test in Wellington last
week, hold a 1-0 lead in the series.
--- Reuters
CRICKET
Sammy keeps
mum on
Shillingford Slight
advantage
for Windies
PICTURE: NZ Herald
Neil Wagner took the only wicket of the first session and celebrates with Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum.
Sydney
Cronulla prop Andrew Fifita is
reportedly considering a switch to rugby
union.
An Australian Rugby Union
spokeswoman confirmed to e Daily
Telegraph that Fifita met Wallabies
coach Ewen McKenzie last weekend,
although she could not say whether
things would move beyond that meeting.
e newspaper reported that the
24-year-old has also recently changed
management, and is now working with
Sutherland Shire accountant Greg
Willett, who also manages McKenzie.
Willett also attended the weekend
meeting, but would not detail what
was said. Fifita has had a remarkable
rise this year, making his NSW Origin
debut in June and then featuring in
the Kangaroos successful World Cup
campaign. --- AAP
Sydney
He may be fighting to clear his name, but
embattled NRL coach Shane Flanagan could
possibly cop a much lengthier suspension
than his provisional one-year ban, according
to former ASADA boss Richard Ings.
Flanagan is believed to be considering
his legal position and the Sharks say they
may defend him after the NRL on Tuesday
provisionally suspended him for 12 months
for his alleged involvement in the Sharks
2011 supplements program.
e provisional view of the NRL is
that Flanagan and former strength and
conditioning coach Trent Elkin failed in their
duty of care to players, putting the athletes at
risk and exposing them to possible violations
of the game s anti-doping code.
But with ASADA s own investigation
into the Sharks ongoing, Ings suggested
Flanagan may be set for an even more severe
punishment if it deems that performance-
enhancing drugs were in fact used.
" e best one to look at is (former Canberra
winger) Sandor Earl," Ings told AAP when
asked yesterday if Flanagan potentially
faced a lengthier ban of 12 months, which
the league can reduce to nine months if he
undergoes education and training.
"Sandor is facing a four-year ban for the use
and trafficking of performance-enhancing
drugs.
"If you re an athlete
who is trafficking
performance-enhancing
drugs, or you re an athlete
support person who has
been
administering
performance-enhancing
drugs, then the ban
under the WADA code
can be four years, or even greater, depending
on the situation."
Flanagan and the Sharks have until
January 15 to appeal his suspension, as
well as the proposed cancellation of Elkin s
NRL registration and the club s provisional
$1 million fine.
Even if any Flanagan appeal is successful,
ASADA s findings will be independent,
meaning his future in the code remains in
jeopardy.
"(NRL boss) David Smith made it very
clear yesterday (that) the announcement of
the sanctions proposed by the NRL were
made after consulting with ASADA (and)
that making those announcements would
not cut across any aspect of ASADA s current
investigation," Ings said.
" e NRL got the go-ahead for that so
the sanctions that are imposed are under the
NRL s code of conduct. ey ve got nothing
to do with any possible future anti-doping
violations.
" ey re separate and they re independent.
"Smith also made very clear that ASADA s
investigation is based around whether
the substances were used were actually
performance-enhancing drugs. ASADA
must complete that investigation and when
they do, ASADA will determine whether any
player or athlete support staff, be it a coach
or trainer or whoever, was in breach of any
anti-doping rules."
Flanagan and Elkin aren t the only parties
in the firing line, with several Sharks players
also in for a ner vous wait.
"If ASADA s investigation goes on to say:
ose substances which were given we,
ASADA, can now prove that they were
performance-enhancing drugs , then that
would be a much more serious violation
and would bring serious sanctions under the
NRL s anti-doping policy which would be
separate to and above and beyond anything
that s already been handed down," Ings said.
e Cronulla board will meet on ursday
night to consider their position.
e club yesterday closed ranks, with the
players refusing to comment before or after
training under assistant coach Peter Sharp
in what was believed to be their final field
session of the year. --- AAP
FOOTBALL
LEAGUE
Flanagan ban may be longer
Merrick shuffles bench for Mariners clash
Brockie keen to regain goal-scoring touch
PICTURE: Getty Images
Phoenix s Jeremy Brockie and Glory s Daniel de Silva contest the ball.
Fifita mulls code switch
LEAGUE
Shane Flanagan
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